Why there was a smell of antifreeze in the cabin: reasons and what to do

If you smell antifreeze in the cabin, this is an alarming sign. Don't think that ventilating your car is enough. It's not just about the unpleasant smell. Harmful fumes can harm the health of people inside, and leakage of antifreeze will lead to technical problems. Hanging scented trees around the cabin is not an option. If the interior smells of antifreeze, you need to diagnose the cooling system. There is nothing complicated here - you will see for yourself now.

Why does the smell of antifreeze appear in the cabin?

Sometimes an unpleasant odor appears even with normal sensor readings.
Ventilating the interior gives a temporary result - when the window glass is lifted, the problem manifests itself again. To completely solve it, you will have to establish its source. Typically, the cause of the odor is an antifreeze leak. The cooling system mechanisms fail as a result of prolonged use. The expansion tank itself could be depressurized or initially be of poor quality.

An antifreeze leak sometimes appears after an engine repair - if one of the hoses was connected incorrectly. Leaks can be quite difficult to detect. The fact is that antifreeze actively evaporates, and with a minor leak, the inspection may not yield results. But if the leak is quite severe, it can be easily detected by characteristic spots on the parts of the power unit. In this case, traces of coolant are also visible on the asphalt while the car is parked.

To ensure a high-quality connection of the cooling system hoses, use special metal clamps. They are reliable and can be used for a long time. Check the radiator. If it becomes depressurized, it is better to replace it, since it is difficult to repair the device.

Possible consequences and solutions

The antifreeze leak problem has several negative consequences.

1. Technical. A leak will sooner or later lead to a critical drop in the antifreeze level and engine overheating. The coolant in the cabin will lead to accelerated oxidation of the contacts of the on-board electronics, since antifreeze is partially composed of water. And if there is a large coolant leak, this problem can even cause a short circuit in the electrical wiring.
2. Operational. Systematic fogging of windows due to condensation of antifreeze leaving the system will constantly reduce visibility. The risk of getting into an accident will increase. Excessive humidity in the cabin will lead to the appearance of fungus and mold. And this is an additional source of unpleasant odor.

1. Physiological. Ethylene glycol, the main component of the vast majority of modern coolants, is toxic to humans. The lethal dose ranges from 100 to 300 grams. In volatile form, when ingested through the respiratory system, its concentration in the body rarely reaches a dangerous level. However, systematic inhalation of vapors may cause dizziness, nausea, coughing and irritation of the mucous membranes. In addition, the smell of antifreeze is not pleasant for everyone and can become an additional irritant.

The best solution in this situation is repair and replacement of damaged elements of the cooling system. As a temporary measure, it is possible to use repair sealant for the radiator.

Fix it yourself or go to a service station?

Once again I want to draw your attention, this is very important! All work on replacing cooling system elements is carried out exclusively with the engine turned off and the coolant cooled down. You can replace the pipes, thermostat, radiator filler cap, and expansion tank cap yourself. Remove the filler cap on the radiator

Unscrew the drain plug on the engine and drain the coolant into a clean container

Remove the filler cap on the radiator. Unscrew the drain plug on the engine and drain the coolant into a clean container

You can replace the pipes, thermostat, radiator filler cap, and expansion tank cap yourself. Remove the filler cap on the radiator. Unscrew the drain plug on the engine and drain the coolant into a clean container.

As for replacing the gasket between the valve head and the piston block, repairing a rotten engine cooling jacket and repairing radiators, these works are best done at specialized stations. Since such repairs will require the use of specific tools and the necessary experience and knowledge.

Reasons for the smell of antifreeze in the cabin

The sweetish smell of antifreeze in the cabin, especially noticeable after turning on the heater, always indicates one thing: there is a coolant leak in the system. There are four main ways antifreeze vapor can enter the cabin.

1. Through a leaky heater core. This is the most common reason. If the smell is pronounced and is accompanied by leaks of antifreeze into the interior or systemic fogging of the car windows from the inside, then most likely the heater radiator is leaking. For example, on VAZ 2114 cars (and all models of the 10 series), as well as in the first generation Kalina, the heater radiator is made of two plastic reservoirs connected to aluminum honeycombs with fins. Leaks usually occur at the junction of plastic and metal. On more recent VAZ cars, such as Granta, Priora and Kalina-2, the heater radiator is all-aluminum. It usually destroys the honeycombs or breaks the supply pipes.

1. Damage to the radiator supply or outlet pipes at their base. In this case, usually only an odor is observed in the cabin. There is no fogging of glass or smudges, or these factors are not clearly expressed. Depressurization of the system for this reason usually occurs at the joints. The pipes themselves are less likely to be damaged.
2. Insufficient tightening of the clamps on the heater radiator pipes. Antifreeze leaks into this connection quite often. The most repairable fault. Eliminated by tightening the clamps.
3. Violation of the integrity of the cooling system in any place other than the heater. In this case, only a slight smell of antifreeze is possible in the cabin. The entire engine compartment will also smell of antifreeze. The problem is usually accompanied by a sharp and noticeable drop in the coolant level in the expansion tank and overheating of the car.

There are several reasons for the destruction of pipes, radiators (central and heater), as well as other elements of the cooling system:

• low quality antifreeze;
• periodic use of water instead of a suitable coolant;
• untimely replacement of coolant;
• cavitation destruction;
• excess pressure in the system due to problems with the steam exhaust valve;
• overheating with boiling of liquid;
• natural wear and tear.

When the smell of antifreeze first appears in the car interior, you need to check the tightness of the system. Please note: some antifreezes contain special fluorescent components that glow under ultraviolet radiation. This helps to find even a small leak.

Why the stove does not work or does not heat the air

If the stove fails, it either does not work at all, or it works but does not heat the air. In the first case, first check the fan wiring, starting with fuse F7. If the fuse is blown, replace it. Then they check the relay, which may not turn on the first time or only when the engine is warm. In this case, the relay is replaced with a new one.

Then the serviceability of the electric motor is assessed. To do this, power is directly supplied to its contacts from the battery. If the electric motor starts to operate at maximum speed, then it is in good condition. Otherwise, it will need to be repaired or replaced.

The intensity of the air flow is adjusted using a resistor having two spirals with resistances of 0.82 Ohm and 0.23 Ohm. In the first mode, the current flows through both spirals, in the second - only through a spiral with a resistance of 0.23 Ohms, in the third - bypassing the spirals, that is, without resistance at all. If the resistor is faulty, the fan will only operate in the third mode at maximum speed (handle in the extreme right position). The problem is solved by replacing the resistor, which is located on the driver's side above the accelerator pedal.

If the resistor is faulty, the heater fan will only be able to operate at maximum speed.

If cold air enters the cabin, this may be due to:

• Airlock. It could have formed when replacing the coolant, when the system was depressurized, or because there was insufficient amount of coolant in the system. To remove the plug, remove the heater radiator pipe, use a watering can to add antifreeze to the maximum and put the hose back in place. After starting the engine, coolant under pressure will displace the remaining air from the system.
• Stove tap jammed. This happens if the tap was not initially opened all the way, and during operation, oxide and scale formed on the inner surface, preventing the normal circulation of the liquid. You can try to open the tap using pliers or immediately replace it with a new one.
• The stove radiator is clogged. When using low-quality coolant, the radiator honeycombs may become clogged. The problem is solved by flushing or replacing the heat exchanger. The feasibility of washing is determined by the scale of contamination.
• Installation of a low-quality radiator. In a defective product, the honeycomb may be incorrectly soldered. The radiator should be replaced.
• Low pressure in the cooling system. If heat transfer increases at higher speeds, the pump needs to be replaced.
• Low coolant level. It is necessary to check the level and add antifreeze if necessary.
• Damage to the heater fan impeller. The impeller is carefully inspected and replaced if mechanical damage is detected.
• Cabin filter dirty. If it is heavily polluted, the power of the electric motor will not be enough to pump warm air into the cabin. The filter is replaced with a new one.
• Damage to the cylinder head gasket. If the cylinder head gasket is blown, white smoke will come out of the exhaust pipe. The problem is solved by replacing the gasket and dismantling the cylinder head.

If the stove is clogged, warm air will stop flowing into the cabin.

Signs of a coolant leak

The smell of antifreeze in the cabin clearly indicates a malfunction in the car, regardless of the amount of coolant leaking. In most cases, such a malfunction is caused by a broken pipe or radiator. To do this, you need to carefully inspect all the parts under the hood to find any damage. The problem could also be due to a cracked radiator hose or a faulty gasket. It is much more difficult to notice the problem here.

The main sign that antifreeze is leaking is a specific smell in the cabin. The problem may also be accompanied by wet floor mats. In this case, the breakdown must be repaired immediately, since inhaling coolant vapors can lead to poisoning of the body with toxic substances.

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Another sign that antifreeze is leaking may be an increased engine temperature. As a rule, an indicator light on the control panel lights up when the antifreeze value is critically low.

What can a breakdown lead to?

We found out that the unpleasant odor is caused by a coolant leak. This leads to overheating of the engine - which can result in breakdown. Fumes are harmful to health - especially in the cold season, when the smell of antifreeze in the cabin only intensifies when the heater is turned on. Therefore, in winter, the malfunction must be eliminated even more quickly. You can do it yourself, but if you don’t have the skills, it’s better to turn to the experts.

A malfunction can add the following problems:

1. Carpet, ceiling upholstery, sound insulation and other materials inside the cabin actively absorb and accumulate odors. Over time, they will become saturated with the unpleasant smell of antifreeze. It will always accompany the driver; no fan will help here.
2. The coolant will leak out all the time - you will have to spend money on constant replenishment.
3. The antifreeze that has dried after leaking crystallizes; these unnoticeable “crystals” will “flavor” the car’s interior.

It is not easy to determine the fact of a leak if the coolant gets under the timing drive. But upon careful inspection of the space under the belt, characteristic marks can be detected. Antifreeze can also get on the belt itself. This will cause the destruction of its structure. Typically, the cause of moisture on the timing belt is a faulty pump.

How to find the cause of the breakdown?

The coolant constantly decreases while the engine is running. In winter, antifreeze evaporates when cooled. But all this is a normal operating process and does not cause the smell of antifreeze in the cabin. If the coolant comes out in large volumes or is consumed faster than expected, then we can talk about a malfunction.

How to find the cause of a breakdown based on symptoms?

1. Damaged tank or cap - in order to detect the problem, a visual inspection of the antifreeze tank will be enough.
2. Malfunctions in the heating radiator system - in this case, an oil puddle of antifreeze condensate will form under the front seats (both passenger and driver), and excessive fogging of the windows will also occur.
3. Problems with radiator pipes (damage, chips, cracks or loose fittings) – leaks may occur at the joints. To check this, you need to put cardboard under the car for a day. Then it should be checked for oil stains: if there are any, then it is worth checking all the pipes for functionality.
4. A leak in the engine is the most unpleasant situation when it is almost impossible to find the cause of the breakdown on your own. You can diagnose an antifreeze leak into the engine by unscrewing the spark plugs. If there is a white coating on them, it means that antifreeze is still leaking out.
5. Leakage into the oil - in this case, the smoke from the exhaust pipe, which comes out when the engine is running, has a light tint and a sweetish smell of coolant is felt.

Prevention measures

To ensure that antifreeze does not leave the expansion tank, you need to carefully monitor the appearance of signs of malfunction and promptly carry out preventive maintenance.

To identify defects and eliminate them, you must first carefully study the signs of problems that appear.

For example, the liquid in the expansion tank leaves only when the speed increases, but no leakage is observed without load, which means that you need to carefully examine places of possible leakage:

• the pressure valve is not working correctly;
• The thermostat does not perform its functions;
• pump breakdown;
• violation of the integrity of the pipes.

A burnt-out cylinder head gasket makes itself felt by emissions of antifreeze even at idle speed. This problem is also further indicated by vaporous smoke.

When repairing an automobile cooling system, it is allowed to use only new components - rubber hoses, pipes, seals, etc. It is prohibited to use used parts. The components installed in the cooling system must be free of visible defects and damage that could cause coolant leakage or other malfunctions.

Hoses with ruptures and cracks must be disposed of, and only new parts are installed in their place.

To prevent antifreeze from leaving as a result of boiling, you need to use only good quality liquids from trusted manufacturers. When using good antifreeze in a working cooling system, leakage from the expansion tank due to coolant squeezing out is completely eliminated.

It is recommended to fix problems with fluid leaving the expansion tank with the help of a professional service. An experienced technician will be able to better and faster find faulty components and carry out high-quality repairs.

What should a car enthusiast do?

First of all, carry out a complete diagnosis of the car's cooling system. This can be done in the garage, without complex devices and without special knowledge and skills. But you need to carefully remove the smell of antifreeze. Open the hood, check the pipes, hoses and covers for visible damage. Absolutely all system conductors must be checked. We replace damaged parts.

Another cause of a leak may be a malfunction in the engine crankcase. Failure leads to disruption of the functionality of the power unit. To diagnose, just look at the oil tank cap from the inside. If coolant gets on the engine crankcase, a white coating forms on the cover.

As a result of the leak, coolant can penetrate directly into the passenger compartment. This indicates a malfunction of the radiator. If a leak forms in it, some of the coolant penetrates into the cabin, where a characteristic sweetish smell is felt. We replace the radiator with a new one and remove the liquid. This can be done by placing newspapers on the puddle, which we throw away as they become soaked. Someone uses a plastic bottle. We make a hole in its lid, then squeeze the bottle to release air from it and apply the hole to the spilled moisture. In 3-4 passes, you can “suck out” the entire puddle in this way, and wipe off the remaining moisture with a rag.

The cause of the leak can be difficult to determine. If the source of suspicious traces cannot be identified, look at the radiator of the heating system. Coolant may also leak from the heater. Then an unpleasant burning smell is felt in the cabin. Leaking liquid will get under the mat. To fix the problem, you will have to replace the stove radiator by first disassembling its body.

The reason may not be in the radiator itself, but in the tubes connected to it. The joints can be treated with sealant. But it is better to immediately replace the problematic tubes with new ones.

To prevent the appearance of coolant vapors in the cabin, you need to check the level in the radiator from time to time. The evaporated liquid should be replenished, and if the evaporation is too intense, the cause of the problem should be urgently determined.

On thematic forums, it is advised to use the coolant of the brand that is recommended for use in your specific car model. It is not recommended to mix coolers of different types. Timely diagnostics of the cooling system will allow you to identify faults and increase the service life of the power unit elements.

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How to remove the heater radiator yourself and not freeze in your Zhiguli car?

If you have fallen on hard times and it is not possible to contact a car repair shop or service center, or you are convinced that you should take care of your car yourself, and the time has come to replace the heater radiator of your VAZ 2109, do not despair, do not be scared and read this article carefully. Before

Step-by-step replacement instructions

1. The VAZ 2114 must be placed on a pit or on a lift. There should be a container for coolant on hand. It needs to be placed under the radiator, unscrew the cap and drain all the antifreeze. You can see how to get to the radiator in the cabin above in the instructions for replacing the heating radiator (points 2-14).
2. When the liquid has been drained, you can move on to the pipes - they go to the stove faucet from the motor. Next, the stud connections are cleaned using a metal brush and WD-40 - to do this, you need to loosen the clamps. This step can be bypassed if the studs initially unscrew well.
3. The pipes are dismantled one by one. It is recommended to place a container under them (as well as under the radiator), since the remaining antifreeze may spill out.
4. Now you need to go to the interior of the VAZ 2114 to remove the side trim of the dashboard and remove the pipes if there are future plans to replace them. If you don’t need to change them, then there is no point in removing them completely - you need to loosen them a little so that all the antifreeze comes out - you need to put a rag in the interior.
5. Again you need to return to the pit, where, using a 10' socket wrench, unscrew the fastening nuts that hold the faucet.

Do you need to deal with the smell from your car's stove?

The smell that appears in the car interior when the heater is turned on causes discomfort among motorists. First of all, the problem is that the stove is used during the cold season, so it will not be possible to ventilate the car while driving. And if you don’t turn on the heater, the car windows will start to fog up or freeze. In addition to the fact that the aroma that appears in the cabin when the heater is on causes inconvenience to the driver and passengers, it is harmful to health. Both the fumes and the pores of the fungi, when they enter the respiratory tract, cause a number of diseases, ranging from allergies to pneumonia. Therefore, if an unpleasant smell begins to appear in the car when you turn on the heater, look for the cause yourself or contact a service station specialist. Since this is a fairly common cause of complaints from car owners, workshop workers will be able to quickly determine the source of the unpleasant odor and eliminate it.

How to fix the problem

Inspect all elements of the vehicle's cooling and heating system and their connections. It is especially worth paying attention to the radiator and stove faucet and the pipes that are connected to them. Significant leaks can be immediately seen by dark spots.

Tighten all clamps on the pipes, replace faulty ones with new ones.

Check the expansion tank cap and thermostat. Due to a malfunction of one of these elements, the engine overheats, and coolant may be released from the expansion tank.

If the smell of antifreeze appears in the cabin immediately after repairing the car, check that all pipes are installed correctly.

Coolant is a very volatile substance and evaporates very quickly. Because of this, a small leak is difficult to detect - there is a smell in the cabin, the fluid level practically does not decrease, and traces of a leak are practically invisible. In this case, you need to use the help of a friend: one is accelerating. and the second one carefully looks at this time at the pipes, their connections and at the elements of the heating and cooling system. Under pressure, even a small crack will reveal itself.

Cooling system design

The interior of the car was disassembled after an antifreeze spill, and at the same time noisy, since the factory heat and sound insulation had become unusable

Before finding the reasons for the smell of antifreeze in the cabin, you need to understand the design of the cooling system.

So, let's look at how the engine coolant system works:

Scheme and design of the cooling system

1 – expansion tank plug; 2 – expansion tank; 3 – coolant drain hose from the throttle pipe; 4 – hose from the radiator to the expansion tank; 5 – radiator outlet hose; 6 – left radiator tank; 7 – aluminum radiator tubes; 8 – plug; 9 – right radiator tank; 10 – drain plug; 11 – radiator core; 12 – electric fan casing; 13 – electric fan impeller; 14 – electric motor; 15 – pump gear pulley; 16 – pump impeller; 17 – camshaft drive toothed belt; 18 – engine block; 19 – pump supply tube; 20 – radiator supply hose; 21 – heater radiator outlet hose; 22 – coolant supply hose to the throttle pipe; 23 – exhaust pipe; 24 – filling hose; 25 – heater radiator supply hose; 26 – thermostat; 27 – coolant temperature sensor; 28 – coolant level indicator sensor

Reasons for the appearance of antifreeze under the rugs and on the bottom of the VAZ-2114

It’s good if the weather is warm outside, it will dry quickly. If it's frosty outside, you'll have to heat it up.

So, when the issue of the design of the cooling system has been considered, we can proceed directly to considering the reasons for the appearance of the smell of antifreeze in the car interior:

• Problems with the cooling system pipes.
• The heater radiator is faulty.
• The interior floor is filled with antifreeze.
• Smell from a new heater radiator.
• The smell is coming from the engine compartment.

Video on how to replace a faulty heater core

If we are already talking about replacing the heater radiator, then I want to add my 5 cents. Yes, DAAZ radiators are the warmest, but if you don’t drive often in winter (this is my option), but mainly in summer, the main thing is the reliability of the cooling system so that antifreeze does not leak. The problem with DAAZ radiators is the flimsy plastic fittings without ring collars. Either the antifreeze hoses come off of them (because the engine wanders when starting and braking and these hoses do not stand still), or the fittings simply break off. I replaced the DAAZ radiator with the same one, but after another fitting broke, I replaced it with an Orenburg radiator, made of copper, with durable metal fittings with full annular beads. The hoses do not come off from such a fitting. It is better to take not Balakovo rubber hoses, but reinforced ones from Volga with a diameter of 18 mm. They do not tan or break spontaneously at the clamps. Install Normovsky clamps, put the hoses on the clamps with a small amount of black high-temperature sealant. It is better to replace the plastic tee filled with Balakovo rubber with a brass tee with 18mm fittings (sold in the garden section in Leroy Merlin) and also install reinforced hoses.

Before choosing a stove radiator, I carried out marketing on the entire range of manufactured radiators, but I couldn’t find anything better in terms of reliability than the Orenburg radiator. Yes, it heats the interior more slowly, it takes a long time to heat up, but it still heats and, most importantly, it doesn’t leak, the clamps don’t come off it, the fittings don’t break off. Set it and forget it. Therefore, it is better to freeze slightly in winter than to repair the DAAZ heater radiator at the most inopportune moment. I repaired it with my own hands, from the engine compartment. I must say, this is one of the most dreary jobs due to the labor intensity and awkward position (the back starts to hurt). Disassembly and assembly will take half a day, and that’s not the first time you’ve done it. And for the first time, you may not be able to do it yourself in a day, because it’s not clear where to unscrew which screw in order to remove the casing so as not to break anything, how to put the plug back together so that it does not fall but works as expected, etc. You have to remove the heater fan, disassemble the plugs, which then need to be installed correctly, in short, the less often you go there, the better, so you want to replace it once and forget it. This is not a tail light bulb that you took and replaced in a minute. So think carefully about what is more acceptable to you – reliability or warmth in winter.

Cleaning and flushing the radiator of the VAZ 2114/15 stove

You can increase the efficiency of the stove by cleaning and flushing the radiator. The procedure can be performed without dismantling the radiator or with dismantling it. In the first case, you will need to remove the outlet and inlet pipes from the heater and pour a cleaning solution into it. Citric acid, plumbing cleaners (for example, “Mole”), etc. are used as such a solution. Then the radiator is washed with running water and coolant is added. You can clean the radiator better by removing it from the car. This will allow you to wash it not only from the inside, but also from the outside, removing dirt between the honeycombs. Washing is usually carried out with running water.

If after performing these procedures the stove does not work better, the radiator must be replaced.

Video: flushing the stove radiator

Thus, diagnosing a malfunction and determining the cause of poor heating of the VAZ 2114/15 interior with your own hands is quite simple. Self-repair and replacement of individual elements of the heating system are also not very difficult. It is enough just to strictly follow the recommendations of specialists.

Didn't find the information you are looking for? on our forum.

Conclusion

The appearance of a specific antifreeze smell in the car interior indicates that there are problems in the vehicle. You can get rid of them either on your own, if you find the location of the coolant leak, or in a car repair shop. Do not delay if even the slightest smell appears. Antifreeze can cause serious harm to human health when evaporated.

Sources

• https://mashinapro.ru/1772-v-salone-pahnet-antifrizom.html
• https://avtozhidkost.ru/zapah-antifriza-v-salone-pri-vklyuchenii-pechki/
• https://FB.ru/article/454574/zapah-antifriza-v-salone-prichinyi-i-sposobyi-ustraneniya
• https://zen.yandex.com/media/zowetawto/pochemu-v-salone-avtomobilia-pahnet-jjenym-antifrizom-5b27c7b8659d4100a91a8a43
• https://automend.ru/articles/prichiny-nepriyatnogo-zapaha-v-avto-pri-vklyuchenii-pechki/
• https://MasteraVaza.ru/sistema-otopleniya/u-sovremennyh-modelej-sistema-otopleniya/vaz-2110-zapah-iz-pechki-554
• https://bolt-taxi.com/v-salone-zapah-tosola-vaz-2110-chto-delat/